Schedule:  Physics 390      Winter 2007 

The following is a tentative course outline by date. The examination and homework due dates will not change unless unforeseen events occur. The material to be covered may change slightly, depending on progress.

  

Class & 
Exam Dates

Topic

Reading

Comments & Links

F Class 1, January  5 Introduction and Review Chapters 1 and 2  skim reading as necessary
    Quantization of Radiation    
W Class 2, January  10 Charge and mass of electron,
Blackbody Radiation
3:1-2 Java Applets
F Class 3, January  12 Photoelectric effect,
Compton Scattering
3:3-4 + More Java Applets
   

Particle Nature of Matter

   
W Class 4, January  17 Early Atomic Theory,
Rutherford Experiment, Bohr atom
4:1-6 HW set #1 due
   

Matter Waves

   
F Class 5, January  19 De Broglie’s Hypothesis,
Wave groups, dispersion
5:1-4 Java Applets
W Class 6, January  24 Uncertainty Principle,
Applications of  Uncertainty Principle
5:5-7 + More Lecture Notes
   

Schrodinger Equation

   
F Class 7, January  26 Quantum wave equation 6:1 HW set #2 due
W Class 8, January  31 Infinite square well,
Finite square well
6:2-4 + More Lecture Notes
Java Applets
F Class 9, February  2 Quantum harmonic Oscillator 6:5 + More Java Applets
W Class 10, February  7 Barrier reflection and tunneling 6:6 + More
Java Applets
       Atomic Physics           
F Class 11, February  9 3-dim square well, degeneracy,
Hydrogen Atom
7:1-3 HW set #3 due
Java Applets
W Midterm Exam:  February  14 on quantum mechanics (Ch. 1-6)   Exam practice questions
(Solutions)
Exam Solutions
F Class 12,  February  16 Electron Spin, Angular Momentum 7:4-5  
W Class 13, February  21 Pauli Principle, Atomic Spectra,
Complex Atoms
7:6-8
9:4 + More
 
F Class 14, February  23 Lasers 9:5-6 HW set #4 due  
   February  24 - March 2 Spring Break     No Class
       Solid State Physics        
W Class 15, March  7 Statistical Physics 8:1-5 + More1 More2 Lecture Notes
F Class 16, March  9 Electrons in metals 10:2-4    
W Class 17, March  14 Band theory of solids,
Semiconductors
10:5-8      
       Nuclear Physics        
F Class 18, March  16 Atomic Nucleus,
Radioactive decay
11:1-4 + More

HW set #5 due
 

W Class 19, March  21 Nuclear force, reactions and applications 11:5-6
12:1-3
 
      Particle Physics         
F Class 20, March 23 Elementary Particles and their Interactions 13:1-2  
W Class 21, March 28 Symmetries 13:3 + More HW set #6 due    
F Class 22, March  30 Conservation Laws, and the Quark Model 13:3-5  
      Cosmology         
W Class 23, April  4 White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars, and Black Holes 14:3-5

Lecture Notes

F Class 24, April  6 The Origin and Fate of the Universe 14:6-8

HW set #7 due
 

M Class 25, April  9 Review class moved

 from W to M

F "Final" Exam: April 13 Ch. 7-14     Exam practice questions
(Solutions)
F April  20 pick up exams and HW sets 10-noon 330 WHall